Opening address

It gives me great pleasure to preside over the opening ceremony of the Asian
Regional Workshop on Effective Communications for Nutrition in Primary Health
Care.

Science and technology have progressed very rapidly during the past few
decades. However, many health problems still exist, especially among poor rural
communities in less developed countries. Progress in medical science has, in the
past, emphasized the provision of curative health care. Problems of inadequate
health personnel are commonly encountered. In recent years, it has been
recognized that preventive and promotive health measures are necessities in a
comprehensive and effective approach to health-care service.

To enable people to contribute to their own health care, access to
information regarding proper practices is crucial. Gaining information, however,
does not always lead to appropriate attitudes and practices.

The process of communication we are concerned with is the transfer of
messages, the creation of awareness, and the encouragement of sound practices.
Communication for behavioural change is not a simple matter, as behaviours or
practices may result from years of accumulated experiences from childhood on.
The anthropological and sociological backgrounds of population groups are also
influential. Communication with the rural poor is diffficult because illiteracy
and traditional beliefs and practices further complicate the challenge of
effective communication.

Despite these difficulties, I believe that various countries, governments,
and institutions have been seeking ways and means to eradicate the problems. The
participants in this workshop, I trust, will use their considerable abilities,
knowledge, and experience to the ultimate benefit of all Asian people.

Nutrition surveys have shown that in Asian countries the prevalence of
malnutrition is still as high as 50 to 75 per cent among infants and pre-school
children. While it is fairly obvious that economic factors are important in
uplifting the well-being and nutritional standards of the populace, studies
carried out by the FAO in Thailand, Malaysia, and the Philippines clearly reveal
that increased income is not always related to improved nutrition, although it
does play a significant role. Moreover, an adequate national food supply is
certainly not equivalent to adequate nutrition for all a nation's people.

A recent survey of rural villages in Thailand undertaken by the Institute of
Nutrition at Mahidol University, under the supervision of Professor Dr. Aree
Valyasevi, has shown that regular and frequent nutrition education, provided
with health-care and food-producing and income-generating activities, resulted
in a striking improvement in the nutritional status of infants and pre-school
children in those areas.

It is clear, therefore, that providing sound nutrition information is vital.
Food taboos and antiquated food beliefs and practices that have been passed on
for generations have always been a great barrier to modifying eating behaviours
or habits. Functional illiteracy related to malnutrition and the poor learning
environment in rural settings and among disadvantaged urban groups are among the
ecological factors that maintain the vicious cycle leading to malnutrition.

In order to break this cycle, an effective means of continuously transferring
information on sound nutrition is imperative. This information must be
communicated to people with the aim of creating an understanding of its urgency
and importance so that people will be convinced that new patterns and practices
related to nutrition are in their own interest.

The use of communication techniques to effect behavioural changes is by no
means new. Commercial advertising is a good case in point. Those working in
health or nutrition education may gain a great deal by examining such
communication techniques and using any aspects that would be appropriate for
their field. Health and nutrition educators must be guided by the understanding
that communication is the art of giving a part of oneself to other people in
such a way that they willingly accept this offering.

Advances in communication technology have enabled us to speak with people
around the globe. Very often, however, we see that we cannot even bridge the
ever widening communication gaps within our own families.

The challenging task is to find effective communication techniques for
nutrition and health education. The questions to be answered are:

What
kinds of personnel or volunteers will be necessary to carry out the job?

What kind of logistics will be required to implement and monitor the
programme?

How does one integrate the technical know-how of
communications into primary health care?